Method and apparatus for treating hot galvanized articles



May 20, 1930. c. A. GIBLINV 1,

I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING HOT GALVANIZED ARTICLES I Filed Sept. 15, 1928 INVE-NTQR Charley :12. 65:22:22

C0, ATTORNEY Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE CHARLES A. GIIBLIN, 0F WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, TO HENRY B. NEWHALL CORPORATION, OF GARWOOD, JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY METHOD AND ALPI'ARATUS FOR TREATING HOT GALVANIZED ARTICLES Application filed September 15, 1928. Serial No. 306,162.

The present invention relates to an improvement in methods and apparatus for removing excess coating from coated articles and in particular to a method and apparatus for removing excess spelter from hotdipped, galvanized articles, such as screws, nuts, bolts and the like.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a method of, and apparatus for, subjecting metal coated articles to a. series of centrifugally initiated impacts while travelling in a sinuous path, the travel being initiated and continued by subjecting the articles to a series of successive rotary zones,

wherebythe articles are left with .a uniform bright and smooth coating thereon.

Another important object of the invention is to provide apparatus that will operate swiftly and etficientlyito take advantage of the molten condition of the galvanzing coating on hot-dipped articlesimmediately after leaving the molten bath, whereby to rapidly remove the excess before the setting of the,

molten coating, thereby leaving the articles uniformly coated.

Another object of the invention is to pro, vide a method of, and apparatus for, dumping hot-dipped galvanized objects, as they are removed from the molten zinc bath, into an enclosed running apparatus, and by reason of the means therein provided, cause them to travel through said apparatus and be subjected to a series of sequential impacts, such action being initiated by a plurality of successive rotating platforms, the-impacts being produced'against bafl les.

Another object is to provide bafiies which are of perforate metal, or of screen form, whereby to receive the impact of the articles being treated, and to permit the excess coating, thus removed, to pass out of the path of'the treating mechanism, past the baflies,

4 and to be segregated forlater removal and reuse.

Another object of the invention is to provide an enclosed apparatus with means for tained at predetermined heats'during treat-' from the molten zinc,

ment of the objects to delaythe setting of zinc coating material. j

- Another object of the invention is to provide such enclosed apparatus with a plurality of successive .rotating tables, and also with means to introduce therein either a neutral, reducing or non-oxidizing gas, and, further, to" provide means to regulate the circulation of the gas through the chamber.

A further object is to provide an article impacting means wherein the apparatus provided for imparting motion to the articles being treated is generally inclined at an angle, thus to facilitate the articles and to prevent the piling up thereof within the apparatus,

Other objects of the invention are to impassing through of prove generally the simplicity and efficiency of such devices and toprovide a device or apparatus of this kind which is economical,

durable and reliable in operation, and -eco-- ment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with an improved method and apparatus for removing excess spelter from hot-dipped galvanized objects which comprises dumping the articles, as they come through a receiving hopper on to a series of rotating disks, enclosed in a chamber made of heat resisting material and having the disks being arranged in the chamber in an overlapping manner sothatthe objects may be transferred from one disk to the other with facility, a circulating gas system being associated with the chamber to cause either a neutral, reducing or non-oxidizing gas to cotlnuously flow through the chamber thereby providing a suitable atmosphere for the Z1110 coated articles, perforated baflie plates arranged in the chamber normal to theplanes of the disks acting as a barrier to the movement of articles from disk to disk, the articles in their travel from the first disk to the last being caused to. continuously impact against the baflle plates thereby knocking oil the excess metal on them which passes'through the screen perforations, normally closed cleaningapertures in the walls and top of the heating means therein,

chamber to clean the bafi'ie plate perforations and floor of the chamber of excess metal, scrapers being associated with the chamber and each disk face to maintain the disk faces clear of spelter, and an outlet hopper associated with the chamber betweenlthe ends of the baflle plates to guide the treated articles into a cooling tank, and a cooling tank for finally chillingand holding the treated artito a greater or less extent affect the equality of the result.

Moreover, the apparatus in this invention 7 is capable of receiving various mechanical of the .invention itself; and, for the purpose expressions without departing from the spirit of describing the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of apparatus in which drawin s ig. 1 is a sectional view taken on the line 11, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus, the top of the heating chamber being removed. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of apparatus similar to that shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings and in particular to Fig.1, a base 1 of wood or.other material supports thereon a chamber 2 made of fire brick or other heat resisting material, afiixed to the base by uprights 3. It should be observed that the chamber 2 entirely encloses the ap aratus therein, except for the openings to e described later.

A filling hopper 4 having a spout 5 projecting through an opening in the side wall of thechamber 2 receives the galvanized articles as soon as they are removed from the molten zinc pot (not shown).. The spout 5 feeds the articles, which may be screws, bolts, nuts and the like, to the centrifugal disks 6 housed within the chamber 2. I

An outlet hopper 7 is positioned in the chamber side wall, opposite to the above mentionedohe, and directs the treated objects into a downwardly disposed spout 8 leading into a cooling tank 9, filled with water. Thus, the

instant: process isbegun when the articles enter: the hopper 4 and is ended when they fall intOEthe coo ing tank 9. f

. -Within the chamber 2, the-first disk is posi tioned beneath'therspout'5, as shown, and is 3 supported on'an upright bearing 10 supported n; th bottom ofv the chamber 2. A' vertical disk driving-*shaft '-'11"*is supported by' the bottom bearing bracket- 12 which; is secured to'the base 'wliereby'the shaft 11 is vertically supported forrotation gthe 11pp er"end of the shaft being aflixed to the bottom of the disk 6, to cause it to be rotatably supported.

A driving motor 13 is mounted to the base 1 and by means of bevelled gears Pl-15 drives a horizontal main shaft 16 supported in' the upright bearings 12. It will be observed thatthere are three other disks 6 and driving structure therefor similar in structure to that of which meshes with a driven bevelled gear 18, attached to each disk shaftll. Thus, the

disks 6 are all driven from the same motor 13 and thus rotate in the same direction, as shown by the arrows inFig. 2. The" last disk 6 projects somewhat into the outlet fhopper' 7, thereby facilitating the passage of the treated articles from the chamber 2 to the cooler 9. v V

In order to effectively act as an impaot member and remove the excess coating from v the coated articles, I provide a perforated baffle plate or screen 19 in the chamber spaced along a line parallel to the plane passing through the centersof the disks and normal to the planes of said disks. The impact screen contacts with the end walls and top of the chamber 2, and its lower edge is stepped to lie in extremely close proximity to the faces of the disks 6. The lower edge of the impact screen 19 is accordingly cut away in a series of steps 21 in order to more perfectly and'closely cooperate with the faces of the overlapped disks. The side and top edges of the screen are affixed to the chamber walls by' any suita ble attaching means. It should be observed that the opposite end edges of the screen adoin the spout 5 and hopper 7 at the points where the latter are 'positioned within the chamber, thus forming a continuous side barrier from said spout to the hopper 7.

A second perforated baffle impact screen 20 spaced from and parallel to screen 19-i's positioned in a manner similar to the latter but opposite thereto, and is also affixed at itsends to the members 5 and 7 Thus, the screens 19, 20,'the planes of the'disks 6 and thejtop of the chamber between the plates form a confining channel 22 for the articles asathey are carried therethrough. UIt'will be observed that the spout 5 leads directlyint said channel 22, and that the mouth-Tof the hopper 7 These scrapers 23 keep the disk faces clear of removed spelter and may be made adjustable to regulate the distance of the scrapers from the disk faces.

A blower 24. suitably supported adjacent the chamber 2, and operated by the motor 13 by a belt 'drive 25, furnishes a continuous supply of a gas to displace atmospheric air and which is either neutral, reducing or non oxidizing in'nature. The gas may be vaporized sa'l-ammoniac or some other well known substance, the purpose of which is to prevent oxidation of the zinc coating on the coated articles during treatment. The gas comes from a source, not shown, to apipe 27, passes through the blower and is then ejectedinto the chamber through a pipe 26. i

The gas diffuses throughout the chamber, passing through the bafile plate perforations with facility, and thus furnishes the non oxidizing atmosphere within the apparatus. To remove the gas, a gas discharge pipe 28 is mounted in the top of the chamber 2 and projects into the interior thereof.

To maintain a predetermined degree of temperature 'in the chamber, a pair of gas or oil burner nozzles 29, fuel fed by means not shown, project into the interior thereof,

thereby furnishing any degree of heat that may be desired.

Provision is made to clean the screens or baflles 19, 20 by forming closable apertures 27 in the top of the chamber 2. These'apertures'or clean outs are normally closedby covers 30 during the operation of the disks. Additional closable clean out openings 31, also closed during the operation'of the ap- "paratus, are provided along the sidewall of the chamber 2, between the disks and the chamber bottom. The accumulated thrown off excess metal which passes the screens may be removed from the bottom of the chamber through these holes '31.

The process consists in dumping the objects, as they come from the zinc pot, through hopper 4 onto the disks 6. The disks rotate in the same direction and are driven by the motor 13, at a speed suflicient to impart centrifugal force and cause the articles to fly off the disks tangentially and forcefully strike against the perforated bafile screens 19, 20. Being confined by the screens the articles pass rapidly from disk to disk in their rebound from the screens, leaving their surplus metal to pass through-said screens.

Thus the articles rebound from the screens to the succeeding disks 6, and are intermediately thrown from disk to screen until the articles have reached the mouth of the hopper 7 when they pass therein, and down the spout 8 into the cooling tank 9.

Thus the articles are passed through a series of impacts initiated and continued by an overlapping stepped series of moving disks all rotating in the same direction. Each change of direction of an article while in transit is accompanied by an impact against an impact screen and a consequent removal of excess spelter. When the objects are removed from the bath 9, they are found to have lustrous uniform and smooth coatings.

In Fig. .3, I have shown a modified form of vides a wider channel 22, thus slightly increasing the impact of the articles from disk to disk.

Each disk 6, in this modification, is rotated in a direction opposite to the one adj oining'it.

This is accomplished by merely mesehing every second gear 17 on the main shaft 16 on the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2 in reversed drive connection with the main shaft 16. This arrangement will result in the rotation of the disks in the directions shown by the arrows in Fig. 3 and with alternate impact action. 7

This modification operates in other re-' spects in the same manner as described above for Fig. 2.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding and hence no unnecessary limitation should be understood. Further, the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the broader claims.

I claim:

1. A method of the class described which consists in subjecting a coated article'to in-- termittent impacts in a confined channel, and moving said article. in an irregular path through said channel whereby excess coat-' fined channel and simultaneously subjecting said articles to impacts whereby excess coating thereon is removed 4. A method of the class described which consists in subjecting metal coated articles to a series of movements in an immovable, confined channel and simultaneously subjecting said articles to a series of impacts wholly within said channel whereby excess coating on said object'is removed.

5. A method of the class described which consists in subjecting metal coated articles to a series of movements in an immovable, elongated, confined channel and simultaneously subjecting said articlesto a series of im pacts wholly within said channel whereby excess coating on said objects is removed.

6.- In an apparatus of the class described,

a series of overlapping rotating disks, means for feeding .metal coatedarticles on to said disks thereby to causesaid articles to intermittently travel from disk to disk, impact' screens associated with said disks adapted to limit the lateral movement of said articles I over said disks, the contact of said articles with said impact screens removing excess coating from said objects, and passing the removed excess material out of the path of movement of said articles.

7. In an apparatus of the class' described, a chamber, a series of progressive, overlapping rotating disks therein, a pair of spaced channel-forming impact screens associated with each of said disks, said screens being also spaced from the planes of the disks, means to feed metal coated articles on to said disks and between said screens, means associated. with said chamber to maintain a non-oxidizing atmosphere therein, said rotating disks being adapted to centrifugally I move said articles into impacting contact with said screens whereby excess coating on said objects is removed.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a chamber, heating means associated therewith, a progressive series of rotating disks in said chamber, means to actuate said disks, means associated with said chamber to maintain a non-oxidizing atmosphere therein, impact screens in said chamber associated with saiddisks, means to feed metal coated articles into said-chamber on to said disks and between said screens, said disks throwing said articles into impact with said screens thereby removing excess coating from said articles, and scraper means associated with said chamber and in contact with said disks to maintain the same free of metal thereon during rotation thereof.

, 9. In an apparatus of the class described, a chamber, a series of pro ressive overlapping oppositely rotating dis s therein, a pair of spaced perforated im actplates in contact with the end wallso said chamber, said plates being vertical to the planes of disks, means to feed hot-dipped metal coated articles to said disks and between said plates, said members being adapted to throw said articles against said plates, contact of said articles and plates jarring the former and thereby removing excess metal coating therefrom, and means to direct said objects into a cooling tank after passage through said apparatus.

' In an apparatus of the class described,

a chamber, means to move metal coated articles in a progressive series of intermittent paths through said chamber, meansin said chamber to limit lateral movement of said articles as they travel through said series of paths and simultaneously ar said articles by impact, thereby removing excess metal coating thereon, means in said chamber to keep said articles moving means free of metal coating, and means providing closable cleaning apertures associated with said chamber whereby to. remove thrown metal from said in opposite directions, apair of spaced pera forated plates associated with said disks and the end walls of said chamber, the planes of said plates being vertical to the planes of said disks, said disks being adapted to move said articles into impacting contact with said plates thereby jarring said objects and removing excess coating therefrom, and passing the removed, excess coating out of the plane of movement of said articles.

12. An apparatus of the class described comprising a chamber, a series of moving members therein, impact means associated with saidseries of members and means for feeding metal coated articles on to said series of members, whereby said articles are repeatedly moved against said impact means, and excess coating on saidarticles thereby removed.

13. In an apparatus of the class described a series of rotating members, means for feed- A ing coated 1 art cles to sald series and means associated with said series of members, adapted to limit the lateral movement of said articles as they are being projected from the surface of said members, the contact of said articles with said limiting means removin excess coating from said articles.

igned at Garwood in the county, of Union and State of New Jersey this 4th day of Sept,

A. D. 1928. v

CHARLES A. GIBLIN. 

